Ronnie Atkins - Make It Count

[Stefan]

 

New song 'Unsung Heroes' out tomorrow, taken from the forthcoming album 'Make It Count'.

More info to come...

Lineup:

Ronnie Atkins: Lead and backing vocals

Chris Laney: Rhythm guitar, keyboards

Alla Sørensen: Drums Pontus Egberg: Bass

Morten Sandager: Keyboards

Linnea Vikström Egg: Backing vocals

John Berg: Guitars

Olliver hartmann: Guitars

Pontus Norgren: Guitars

Anders Ringman: Acoustic guitars

 

Tracklist:

1. I've Hurt Myself (By Hurting You)

2. Unsung Heroes

3. Rising Tide

4. Remain To Remind Me

5. The Tracks We Leave Behind

6. All I Ask Of You

7. Grace

8. Let Love Lead The Way

9. Blood Cries Out

10. Easier To Leave (Than Being Left Behind)

11. Fallen

12. Make It Count

 

 

Edited December 8, 2021 by Stefan

[Geoff]

Wow, was a new album already so soon expected? What a delicious surprise. What's the go with Pretty Maids? Is the band still active? 

Edited December 7, 2021 by Geoff

[lettard]

Great news  

[KarpetRydOFunk]

Happy days. 

[tts42572]

8 hours ago, Geoff said:

Wow, was a new album already so soon expected? What a delicious surprise. What's the go with Pretty Maids? Is the band still active? 

I wonder that too.  I know I saw some interviews with Ronnie where he said the band hadn't really been active much since COVID started.  But that was back when his first solo album was dropping earlier this year.  Haven't heard much since that.

This 2nd solo album sure seems to suggest the band is probably on hiatus or something.  Or at the least no new material is very imminent if this is where Ronnie's focus has been.

[AlphaMale]

New Pretty Maids book looks interesting:

Pretty Maids

3 hours ago

The best Christmas gift to a fan of Pretty Maids! We Came To Rock! The Official Pretty Maids Journals is the story of Pretty Maids and includes discography, complete list of songs, lots of articles and details... A big sized coffee table book; 372 pages and 1300 photos! We Came To Rock is written in English by Ozzie Adenborg.
Buy it here: https://prettymaidsjournals.bigcartel.com or find a shop in Sweden, Denmark and US that has it: https://www.prettymaidsjournals.se

[lettard]

1 hour ago, AlphaMale said:

New Pretty Maids book looks interesting:

Pretty Maids

3 hours ago

The best Christmas gift to a fan of Pretty Maids! We Came To Rock! The Official Pretty Maids Journals is the story of Pretty Maids and includes discography, complete list of songs, lots of articles and details... A big sized coffee table book; 372 pages and 1300 photos! We Came To Rock is written in English by Ozzie Adenborg.
Buy it here: https://prettymaidsjournals.bigcartel.com or find a shop in Sweden, Denmark and US that has it: https://www.prettymaidsjournals.se

Thankyou AlphaMale...love a good book in our chosen genre 

On 2nd thoughts I'll wait...it works out as £45 inc postage...wtf!! must be gold print...and that isn't even the signed version  

Edited December 7, 2021 by lettard

[AlphaMale]

18 minutes ago, lettard said:

Thankyou AlphaMale...love a good book in our chosen genre 

On 2nd thoughts I'll wait...it works out as £45 inc postage...wtf!! must be gold print...and that isn't even the signed version  

Yeah.... $60 seems a bit much. 

[AlphaMale]

In USD, book is $36.17. Shipping is $24.11 for a grand total of $60.28

[lettard]

18 minutes ago, AlphaMale said:

In USD, book is $36.17. Shipping is $24.11 for a grand total of $60.28

Yeah £27 plus shipping £18 here,would love it but i'll wait for somewhere at a more realistic price 

[Kourosofsteel4]

21 hours ago, lettard said:

Thankyou AlphaMale...love a good book in our chosen genre 

On 2nd thoughts I'll wait...it works out as £45 inc postage...wtf!! must be gold print...and that isn't even the signed version  

 Already have it on ebay search for a cheapo 2nd hand copy 

[Kourosofsteel4]

A new Chris Laney solo album might be a good idea

[Glen]

like the new song. 👍

[Tabe]

Pretty remarkable to see how much Atkins is working given his health.  Very impressive.

[AlphaMale]

24 minutes ago, Tabe said:

Pretty remarkable to see how much Atkins is working given his health.  Very impressive.

We need some new Pretty Maids!!

[Glen]

1 hour ago, AlphaMale said:

We need some new Pretty Maids!!

doubt that will happen now 

[Stefan]

New video for 'Rising Tide'.

 

 

Edited January 6, 2022 by Stefan

[lettard]

On 12/8/2021 at 8:24 PM, AlphaMale said:

We need some new Pretty Maids!!

 

On 12/8/2021 at 10:01 PM, Glen said:

doubt that will happen now 

It would be nice though...in saying that this new track is one of the most PM sounding tracks i've heard from Ronnies solo stuff...very good...loving it

[AlphaMale]

9 hours ago, lettard said:

 

It would be nice though...in saying that this new track is one of the most PM sounding tracks i've heard from Ronnies solo stuff...very good...loving it

Agree!

[The Rocker]

How is this different than PM?  I prefer the Melodic Rock songs rather than the heavier stuff, but that's jjust me.

Edited January 7, 2022 by The Rocker

[Glen]

11 hours ago, The Rocker said:

How is this different than PM?  I prefer the Melodic Rock songs rather than the heavier stuff, but that's jjust me.

agree. This is a good song, but it wouldn't make the cut for One Shot IMHO 

That album was full of melodic greatness 

[Stefan]

New video for 'Make It Count'.

From the man himself:

"One of these songs that took a slight change during the making of it. Starts out as a ballad really and then later turns into something quite different. Despite the genre that I’ve delved into for the last 40 years, I guess It’s no secret that I’m a big pop fan as well. And one of the bands I grew up with in the '70s and that always influenced me big time were ABBA and quite frankly, they are some of the greatest songwriters ever in the music industry, if you ask me. So, when Chris Laney [producer] brought up the opportunity to have legendary ABBA guitarist Lasse Wellander playing on this song, there was no way I could resist that. He does a great job and I’m honored to have him playing on one of my songs. Hope you’ll like the song as much as I do...." - Ronnie Atkins, February 2022

 

From Frontiers:

Respected Danish hard rock singer/songwriter Ronnie Atkins has announced the upcoming release of his new studio album, “Make It Count” on March 18, 2022. Pre-order/save "Make It Count" on CD/LP/Digital HERE: https://orcd.co/atkins LP is available on limited edition white vinyl and limited edition red vinyl. Red vinyl is exclusive to Frontiers webstores.

The electrifying melodic hard rock masterpiece "Make It Count" will be released almost one year to the day after the release of Atkins' last solo album, the critically acclaimed "One Shot".

Rather than hyperbole from the record label, we'll let Ronnie tell the story of "Make It Count" in his own words....

"Me and my great team of musicians followed exactly the same procedure as we did with "One Shot," since I still feel a bit like I am racing against time because of my diagnosis. So, I basically sent my songs to Chris [Laney, producer], who would then work on a demo. When we were satisfied with the arrangements, I would then record the vocals and then the individual musicians laid down their tracks. I already had quite a few ideas from when "One Shot" was released back in March 2021 and continued writing on and off through the spring and summer of 2021. The album was then recorded between April and October 2021," explains Atkins.

"Let me also state that I felt pretty good during the whole process, at least physically. :-) And this time, I had the chance to actually meet with some of the musicians in-person because the Covid-19 restrictions were not as tough as they were back in 2020 when we recorded the last album," adds Atkins. As for the music, Ronnie says, "Once again it was quite an easy going process!! Some of the songs were written on piano and some of them on guitar. I write the way I write, which means that the melodies and toplines are the first priority. If I feel I got a good song with the right chord structure and a strong melody that sticks in my head, then I know I’m on to something good and from there it can only get better. :-). And that’s when I send it on to Chris Laney, who then listens to it with a new set of ears and comes back with his input about the arrangement and additional little bits and pieces. As said, it is an easy going process since we’re on the same page and that’s a great way of collaborating. Style wise, it’s basically just melodic pop/rock songs, so to speak, that we turn into something suitable for those who followed me all those years. To me, a good song is a good song and then it’s a matter of how you wrap it up."

He continues, "Finally, the great thing about doing this is that I don’t have to argue with anyone whether it’s too pop or too lightweight, etc. I do what I do, 'cause that’s what I like and I’m my own boss for these solo albums and therefore, also the only one to take responsibility if it doesn’t live up to people's expectations. But, this is what I wanna do at this stage of my life and I think I’m convinced that “Make It Count“ is a great melodic rock album and I hope the fans won’t be disappointed."

As to the lyrical themes on the album, Ronnie says, "The lyrics are always the hardest part of an album from my perspective!! It’s way easier for me to write a song than a lyric, to be honest. But of course it varies. Sometimes you already have the title and the topic when you’re writing the song and at other times you’re just out of ideas. This time, it was tough at times since my health issues are somehow in my subconsciousness 24/7. No matter what I do, I’m being confronted with it everyday one way or the other. So, some of the songs are touching on this issue of course, can’t help it. That said, I’m also trying to give it a positive twist, meaning that we just have to get the best out of life and love the one we’re with while we’re here. It’s just impossible to write about sex, drugs, and rock’n’roll or whatever living with a life threatening disease and a dagger hangin' above your head!!! Or it is for me, at least! So, bottom line, I guess the lyrical content on this album is partly about the aforementioned topics, the climate, and in general, topics that make sense to everyone without being political."

Since the start of his rock 'n roll journey with Pretty Maids, Ronnie Atkins has consistently gifted fans with quality, melodic rock and "Make It Count" delivers again in spades.

 

 

Edited February 17, 2022 by Stefan

[KarpetRydOFunk]

Gorgeous. Gave me chills. 

[Glen]

thats how you end an album 

[Eric3]

That's a really fucking good song and yet another example of what happens when record labels take a hands-off approach and just let these talented musicians cook. Ronnie's situation is obviously different than most but his songs are genuine and as a listener, I appreciate that.